Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Blind Student and Teacher: using click to tweet adding google business pages ...
Friday, June 27, 2014
well th trick to anything new is the second and third post and so on. hope this one lives up to the faith shown by all my friends. thanks, max Blind Student and Teacher: The story begins
Monday, June 23, 2014
hello; this is a new blog started by my friend chelsea stark to celebrate blind and visually impaired people all over the world who do their part to inspire and motivate others just by being who they are. I hope you will visit the blog, read a post, share an article, leave a comment, etc. and if you are blind, then I highly recommend your participating by submitting a bio and at least one article about your life. thanks and take care, Max Blind All Around the World: My name is Maxwell Ivey Jr and I am a totally bli...
Friday, June 20, 2014
nofears: Think I'm ready to be an inspiration
Six steps to a safe bounce house party
Hello again; Today, I want to address the recent story about three kids in New York who were injured when the bounce house they were playing in took flight. I want to use this occasion to instruct people on the safe operation of a bounce house. A children's party should be a happy event.
Some facts
The bounce house in question was a little tyke's toy model purchased by one of the parents living in the apartment complex where it had ben set up. They had used the unit several times with no incidents. However, the unit appears to have ben staked down with six inch plastic stakes that were insufficient for the weather conditions they had on that day. Th stakes generally used for a commercial inflatable are 18 inches long and made out of strong metal. They are routinely driven at least half way into the ground, but the freak winds experienced on that day may have still resulted in the moonwalk becoming airborne.
Types of rental companies
There are two basic types of inflatable rental companies. There are full service and self service. In general the self service bounce house rentals are operated out of a party planning store and offer only bounce houses. They will let you pick up the inflatable and trust you to operate it safely and then return it when you are through. The other full service party rental companies will generally offer all kinds of inflatables such as obstacle courses, competitive games, and slides both wet and dry. They will insist on delivering the units to your location or an approved park location, setting them up, and instructing you on the proper use of their equipment. They may even insist on leaving at least one person to supervise the party. Obviously having the items delivered to your home means they will be more expensive to rent. I know in this tight economy everyone is trying to save money wherever they can, but I would strongly encourage you to rent from professionals who will know how to avoid most potential problems.
Should you own a bounce house
Many of you have probably thought about how you could save a lot of money if you just bought your own bounce house. I'm sure that often families or groups of neighbors have thought about pooling their money and buying one to share. I'm not going to tell you not to. I'm just going to give you a few things to think about. And later I'll give you a safety check list. If you are going to buy one, then first check with your home owner's association or land lord to make sure that it will not violate any contractual agreements. Next, check to see what your insurance policy says about injuries that occur on your property or at your residence. Then, be sure to purchase a commercial grade inflatable to provide the maximum level of safety and enjoyment. You can often purchase these from local bounce house companies who are often eager to sell older units as they are under constant pressure to have the latest themed bouncers. You may also purchase a new one from any of the many inflatable manufacturers. But be sure to purchase items made or sold by companies in your state or province. Companies that sell in your hom country will be more able to insure that your item conforms with all the latest safety regulations. I would be happy to consult with you on the purchase of new or used inflatables.
Safety check list
Friday, June 6, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
weekly meet up may 28 2014 new rides, indiegogo rewards and a special guest
Hello again; Last night we had another of my weekly video chats concerning the amusement industry and topics related to my efforts to help people sell their equipment. We discussed new additions to the website along with my plans for the upcoming Indiegogo campaign to fund taking the youtube show out on the road. And thanks to my friend Adrienne Smith stopping by, it was one of our best events so far.
Where to find the hangout videos
If you want to see last night's show, then you can click either of the links below.
http://youtu.be/7_E6-oo7N3o
I want to remember to thank Mitchell Walker for continuing to help out by moderating the hangouts. And I want to include a link to his crowd sourcing campaign. He is raising money to start an internet radio station. You can get the details by going to his site www.roguegeeks.com or to the campaign page at http://www.gofundme.com/94fpl8 Mitchell is one of the good guys. I'm not going to say I couldn't do the hangouts without him, but I know I wouldn't want to.
Indiegogo rewards for contributions
Thursday, May 29, 2014
updating hangouts, a new logo, +planning for Indiegogo campaign
Google Hangouts Status
The one thing I have learned about google hangouts is that I am still learning. For the past month I had been struggling with the process of starting the hangout and inviting the people on my list who have asked to participate. At first, I thought this was solely caused by a change in the screen you use when logging into a hangout. After three weeks I discovered that I was responsible or at least partly so. I heard an alert from my screen reader about drop box. It reminded me that I use a plug in on my site that routinely backs up my website to drop box. It does this at a pre determined time every week. And yes you guessed it, I had accidentally set the time for this back up to the same time as the hangouts. My computer just couldn't handle the combined strains of a video call, system back up, and a screen reader. After reseting the back up to midnight like it should be, last week's show started much more smoothly. It only took me about two minutes to have the session live and the guests invited. I am just happy I figured it out.
Sharing Images And Videos
I do have some good news to share. Thanks to help from my friend and hangout regular Chelsea Stark I learned how to share my screen with people during a hangout. This means that I can now share images and even videos from my computer with the audience and have them become part of the video call. They are then included when the hangout is backed up to youtube for later viewing. The instructions were pretty straight forward, but given my experience with Google; I didn't want to try it without practicing first. So Chelsea joined me in a regular hangout to practice. In addition to telling me what she was seeing on her end, she also made suggestions as to what files were good enough to share online. She also explained to me about making sure videos were set to play in full screen. It didn't work perfectly when i did it online, but it did work. And now I feel confident I can share media during the hangouts. I plan to use this to discuss equipment or share interviews with the audience. In the next section I'll tell you how we used this in the process of coming up with a new site logo.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
maxwell ivey is still waiting for you to join Twitter...
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Monday, May 5, 2014
Guest Posting: Benefit Everyone by Doing these 9 Things
Hello again! Today, I am going to talk about guest posting and the things you could and should do so that everyone will benefit from it.
I thought it would be helpful if I shared some of the things I do and have done to promote other peoples' sites when I have been fortunate enough to be featured on one as the subject of an interview and on another as the guest on a podcast. I'm hopeful that you can learn something from my experience and get even more out of your opportunity.
Most of us are familiar with the benefits of guest posting. By appearing on sites with larger followings and/or better traffic and rankings, our sites gain valued exposure. But thanks to the recent decision by Google to penalize sites and guest authors who do it strictly for SEO (search engine optimization) purposes, opportunities to write guest posts will become fewer and farther between. The standards of those sites willing to risk the wrath of Google will get even higher. And your links will be scrutinized to make sure they are relevant and working. So, in this new world for guest authors, it will become even more critical to give the site owners additional reasons for including your work on their site.
That's where this post comes in.
Today, I will share some of the techniques I have used to promote the sites where I have appeared and give you some ideas for how you can make your next guest post or podcast appearance just as valuable to the site owner as it is for you.
Calliope Corner episode 3 a Chance Wipeout
Hello again; Today, I'm bringing you another episode of the midway's showcase called the calliope corner. This time the subject is the Chance Wipeout I have for sale on the site for $100,000. And as part of the show we will also talk about its predecessor the Chance Trabant. I'll share some of their history along with my own memories. Th first link will be to the video of the whole show. If you don't want to watch it all, you can scan down to the headings that say trabant video or wipeout video to watch just the ride footage.
Full Show Video
You can watch it on my site using this button.
Or you can use this direct link to watch in on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9_Iqveg0fA&feature=youtu.be
Sunday, May 4, 2014
maxwell ivey sent you an invitation
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Monday, April 14, 2014
Wednesday night meet up recap April 2, 2014
Hello again; Since there has ben such good response to posts recapping the google hangouts, I thought I would continue the practice. I think we had another good event last Wednesday. And I'm looking forward to an even better one this coming Wednesday April 9, at 10 PM Eastern, 9 PM Central, 7 PM Pacific, etc.
After two very solid shows, this week's was a little bumpy. Google moved the box where i invite people into the hangout after it is started, and it took about half the show to find the box and invite everyone. This meant I was trying to carry on a monologue while searching for the invite people box. I finally found it, and me and Mitchell had a nice conversation about social media. Well, we picked up where I had left off talking about my experiences with the various social media networks. The question came from Ashley Faulkes of www.madlemmings.com and I wish I had done a better job of answering him. I will say now that most all of my social media activity is conducted using email notifications whenever possible.
The Show Video
You can click this link to watch the show video on my site.
And if you want to click a direct link to the video on youtube, then go to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFNs_FKznF8
Social Media Network History
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Hello; this is the third episode of the midway's showcase called the calliope corner. It features the chance wipeout for sale on the site along with a video of a chance trabant for historical purposes. It also includes som of my own personal thoughts. I hope you enjoy the video and wil share it with your friends. Thanks so much, Max calliope corner episode 3
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Hello; this is the video from last wednesday night's google hangout. Its a little bumpy because google moved the invite people box and it took m a while to get the people invited to the the hangout. I think I did a good job by myself. the question of the night was how do i us social media. I hope you enjoy the hangouts and will join in in the future. Please mail me questions or ask to b invited to the meet up. thanks, max wednesday meet up
Monday, March 31, 2014
Blog hop on the writing process
Hello friends; This time I am bringing you a completely different kind of post. This post is part of what is called a blog hop. The best way I can explain it is that it is like a chain letter for bloggers. Each person in the chain writes a post on a given subject or that answers a predetermined set of questions. Then you reference the person who invited you, and you finish by including biographies of and links to three people you have invited to do the same next week. This particular blog hop has to do with the writing process.
If you know me at all, then you know I am all about taking advantage of opportunities even if they aren't the kind you were expecting. When you remember that my primary reason for starting this blog was the promotion of my website and the equipment for sale on it, I find it surprising that I was asked to talk about the writing process. I enjoy writing, and its something I have always ben pretty good at; but I wouldn't have thought of myself in the same category as those who write poems, short stories, and novels. But, Johnny was gracious enough to invite me, so I believe he must see something in my posts that he believes should be shared. And I would never miss the chance to introduce myself to a wider audience.
meet Johnny Bravo
First, let me introduce you to the gentleman who invited me to take part in this blog hop thing. His name is Johnny Bravo and he is in the business of helping professionals sell their brands and take their careers to the next level. Businesses and professionals in every industry come to him for best practices in sales, networking and professional brand development. You can find him at www.salesproblog.com or follow him on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn and Google+
What am I working on?
Wedndsday night meet up recap Mar 26, 2014
Hello again; I had another successful Google hangout this week and I thought the best way I could thank the kind people who participated was to continue writing posts recapping the Wednesday night meet ups. I'm also hoping that comments on these posts will help me refine the events and make them something that people look forward to every week.
The Meet Up Video
Mitchell and I were online right at 9 PM Central. There were no technical issues this time. I thanked Mitchell for continuing to help out. You can watch the youtube video of the entire show by going to the following link.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Hello; this is the video from my second wednesday night video meet up. I answered a couple of questions and then had a long conversation with william butler from western canada. we talked about his thought and the thoughts of other friends that i should be doing more to inspire and motivate people such as public speaking or coaching. we had two other people who wanted in but hadn't asked in advance so wren't on the list. email with questions or to be included next week. thanks, max wednesday night meet up
3rd time was the charm: I'm now a "hangout on air" master
The Youtube Video
After a hangout on air is over, the video is posted to your youtube account. Below is a link to the first successful show. I hope you will at least listen to the first ten minutes or so and tell me how I am doing?
Starting The Show
This week I was more confident, but I still went through the process of getting prepared. I called Mitchell Walker, my moderator with the names of people to add to the hangout on air circle on my google plus account. And I verified that he would be available and online by the start of the event. I signed into the hangout and did everything but press the button to go live. At 09:00PM Central I started the show. I introduced myself. Then, I thanked Mitchell for agreeing to serve as the moderator until I have more experience running a hangout.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Hello friends; Well, the third time was the charm. This is the first google video hangout on air. I think it went pretty well. I know I can get better. I need more people to participate. And I need to get more questions submitted in advance. If you want in next week, just email me or message me. I hope you will at least watch a little of it. And pleas visit the site links mentioned. Thanks and tai car, Max Wednesday Meetup
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Blessed to be featured on two prominent websites
Hello again;This has truly ben a week of blessings. I am honored to have been mentioned on two popular and prestigious blogs. And as my way of saying thank you to their owners I wanted to share their posts with you.
In The Same Breath
I met Ashley Faulkes, owner of Mad Lemmings as a result of leaving comments on another blogger's post. I am not sure whose, but I would bet it was Adrienne Smith's. He eventually reached out to me and offered to help me improve the look and functionality of my website. As a blind computer user and website owner these are things I am constantly worried about. We became great friends. He has become my webmaster, and I trust him completely with my baby something that has ben hard to do. I have known for a while that he considers me an inspiration, but its something I have had trouble accepting myself. Posts like this and the generous comments I have received from others are starting to make me understand that by doing I am inspiring others. I am a big sports fan, and one of the more common sayings in sports is how great it is to be mentioned in the same breath. Now, I am not an athlete and never have ben. But I strive to be the best at what I do which is running my online business. . And as part of this I am a blogger. So, to hear Ashley mention my name with some of the top bloggers in the industry was a great boost to my ego.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Blind man continues to work towards regular google video hangouts on air
Hello Again; Today, I want to share some things I have learned about google hangouts as I am making the transition from a regular google video hangout to a video hangout on air. I will also share some of the mistakes made, problems found, and planned solutions. But before I get to the meat of this post I need to send out my heart felt apologies to those great friends of mine who tried to participate in last night's first hangout on air. I am sorry to have wasted your time and the opportunity to start building my audience. I can assure you that I am working on finding solutions. And for anyone who knows me, they know I'm not going to give up easily especially when I can feel the potential of this service.
Types Of Hangouts
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Hi; i just read this post. I am subscribed to a linked in group for bloggers to share their posts. Very seldom does a post make me feel so much emotion. You can hear her love for books and her passion for putting them in the hands of young kids. If you don't tear up after reading it, there is something wrong with you. You should really check it out. thanks, Max Not Otherwise Specified: My Weekend Trip to Atlanta
Calliope Corner episode 2 the sky coaster from opryland
Hello again; Today, I am happy to announce that I have finally completed episode two of the midway's video showcase. I am continuing to call it the calliope corner until something better comes along. However, that name is starting to grow on me. This time the video is about the sky coaster ride that used to b at Opryland Theme Park in Nashville Tennessee.
And like the first episode, the show features a video provided by the ride's owner along with background information and my own personal commentary about the attraction. You can watch the entire show by clicking the link below. It lasts about sixteen minutes all together. Or if you prefer, you can scan down to where it says riding the sky coaster and play just the ride video. I hope you enjoy it.
What Is A Sky Coaster?
For those of you who aren't familiar with these attractions a sky coaster is a ride where passengers are winched up to the top of a tower and then dropped off of it. They then swing back and forth at the end of a steel cable until gravity brings them to a stop. It is meant to give people the illusion of flight. And who among us hasn't dreamt of or pretended to fly like one of the super heroes.
My first google video hangout tune in next week
Hello again; As many of you know I am not easily satisfied with my efforts to help my clients sell their equipment. I am always looking for some additional edge or new technique that will lead to more successful sales. So, this week I decided to try a google video hangout for the first time. I thought I would share my experience using this system as a blind computer user and business owner.
Why Try A Google Plus Video Hangout?
Recently, I was reading an article about how google hangouts especially video hangouts could be a great way to grow your business. It got me to thinking about how many of my clients have asked me if I would be attending the next major trade show hoping to meet me in person and put a face and voice with the name. And how I have regretted not being able to attend any of these trade shows or conventions yet. I also thought about the many people who have recently commented about how I am an inspiration to them, and I thought this might be a chance fore them to meet me and ask questions. It might give me a chance to further encourage and motivate some people who just need a little shot of positive energy. so I thought I could help myself and maybe help some other people at the same time.
A blind person's experience with Pinterest
Why I joined
Caliope Corner Episode 1 featuring a chance park model carousel
Click Below To Watch Th Show
Chance Park Model Carousel
This week's featured item is a 1997 Chance Rides park model carousel for $89,999. The ride is in good mechanical and cosmetic condition. Its current owners had been operating it for about four years now. It has 14 horses and one chariot. According to the manufacturer's specifications
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Hello friends and family; This is my second youtube video showcase. Like the first one it features a video of the ride provided by the client along with my thoughts and pertinent information about the ride. I think its pretty good, but I realized after I was almost finished that i didn't turn the lights on in my room; so could you please tell me if the lighting is okay? I'd hate to have to record it again unless I absolutely have to. I put hours into these counting the online research writing myself a script, recording the videos, editing them as best as I can, etc. I look forward to your opinions. If you like it, please share it or leave a comment on youtube. Thanks, Max caliope corner episode 2
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Hello; this is a very powerful video from my friend susan cooper about the benefits of letting go. Often we can't move forward into the next part of our lives or into having that life we deserve without letting go of past hurts and attachments. Hope you enjoy it. thanks, max Letting Go/Finding Our Way Now
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
this video is from my friend and webmaster ashly faulkes and i hope you will watch his video book review. He also knows a lot about how to use social media especially twitter. If you haven't already heard about it, I would recommend his twitter course. He is new to videos so take that into account. You may also want to check out his site. Just look for #madlemmings thanks for watching, max jab jab jab right hook gary vaynerchuk
Hello; my new friend angela is an expert on creating videos. today she is showing us mac users what she has learned about a new screen capture video maker called screen flow. It seems like a powerful program so hopefully there will be future video tutorials on it. I encourage you to check hr out on youtube. thanks for watching, max How To Record Your Video On ScreenFlow
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Hello; I hope you will watch this video from my friend susan. it will make you think about the difference between love and friendship. and it will probably bring back some of your own memories about valentine's day, growing up, and those times when none of us really fit in. thanks for watching, max Love and Friendship/Finding Our Way Now
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Hello; Derek is one of my favorite guys anyway. His videos always have such energy and their lessons are always right on point. This time he is talking about what it takes for you as a business owner to charge more for your products and services. He makes a lot of good points. I hope you will check him out. thanks, max So I got a $310 haircut. Here's what I learned about selling high-priced...
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Hello; this is another inspiring video from my spiritual guide and friend robin hallett. I strongly encourage you to visit her site and subscribe to her blog posts that is if you don't subscribe to her videos. Be thankful and grateful as she teaches. Thanks for watching or reading and take care, max Feeling stuck and worried? Here's how to rock it!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
this is part two of the youtube video collaboration i shared with you yesterday. apparently win you do a collaboration there will be two parts one to air on each other's youtube channel. these are an excellent way to promote a video or channel. so if any of you have youtube shows and you would like to work with me at the midway marketplace; then please message me. thanks for watching. I hope you like it, max Crucial Dos and Dont's of www.youtube.com
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Hello; I found out about this lady's videos after i started recording my own. I wish I had found her sooner. If you are thinking of doing videos, then her channel would be a great place to start. and you will enjoy watching while you learner. thanks for checking out the video, max YouTube Do's and Don'ts with Ms. Ileane and Rich Mom Renae Christine
Friday, January 24, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Hello; Susan has been a great friend of my website and I just started listening to her videos. I highly encourage you to visit her blog or youtube page and subscribe to her inspiring messages. I hope to get as good at my own videos as she is already. Thanks for watching the video. Take care, max The Little Train That Could Called Finding Our Way Now
Friday, January 17, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Hello; this is a first post from a new blogging friend of mine. I think she is off to a good start and i wanted to support her like lots of people have supported and encourage me. I hope you will check her out and see how she progresses. Thanks for reading, max Not Otherwise Specified: Twenty Years AgoTwenty years ago, gas cost $1.11...
Twenty years ago, gas cost $1.11...: Twenty Years Ago Twenty years ago, gas cost $1.11 a gallon (well, that was the national average, anyway). Bill Clinton had just taken...